Embodiments of the inventive concept relate to a semiconductor memory, and more particularly, to a method of operating a storage device.
A semiconductor memory is implemented using a semiconductor material, such as silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP), or the like. A semiconductor memory device may be roughly classified as a volatile memory device or a nonvolatile memory device.
A volatile memory device loses data stored therein at power-off. A volatile memory device may be a static random access memory (SRAM), a dynamic ram (DRAM), or a synchronous DRAM. A nonvolatile memory device maintains data stored therein even at power-off. A nonvolatile memory device may be a read only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), a flash memory device, a phase-change RAM (PRAM), a magnetic RAM (MRAM), a resistive RAM (RRAM), and a ferroelectric RAM (FRAM).
In particular, a flash memory device is a high-capacity storage device and is widely used in various fields. The flash memory device is a nonvolatile memory device but will lose data stored therein due to various factors such as temperature, read disturbance, program disturbance, and charge loss. Accordingly, there are being developed various methods for securing the integrity of data stored in a flash memory device.